Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-01-20
COLLEGE BRED JOURNALISTS.
The Sort of Schooling That Leaves
Everything 90 be Desired.

IeHusYlNaulA cOlIeEe Is ABOUT TO erect
one. My opinion is that chair In jour-
nalism is the most superhuous thing one
can have. A pair of boots is much bet
ter article OF furniture for journalist.
Inc true chair Of journalism is to be
found outside OF the newspaper offices,
reserved for customers. while the in
cipient journalist, with a box OF backing
and pair of well-worn brushes, proceeds
to enlighten the shoes OF the passer-by.
This chair of journalism you can see in
the vicinity of every important Dewspa-
per office. The editor sometimes INDUCES
in the golden dream of sitting there as
much as four or five minutes. Colleges
make altogether too noble young person
for the cOmmoner uses OF the newspaper
The faculty which reports the occur
rences of the day requires TO be less re-
strained than the average young college
cad becomes by the time he receives his
diploma. Ii he has a democratic soul
and gives the diploma to the poor, and
gets down to see what the common world
is at, there Is no reason why he may not
succeed, even with an education. | had
one of these diplomas, but for two years
before graduated paid next to no at
tention to the studies, and haven't seen
much reason to regret my rebellion. For
instance | studied calculus; the only CAL
culus l have occasion to practice since is
a fear OF stone in the bladder. l do not
even know what the other kind of calcu-
lus means l recOllect, however, that it
was ditferential and integral. ] cannot
tell what differential calculus means.
The whole thing is integral to me; that is,
FORGOTTEN IN A LUMP.
Then / studied trigOnometry. l still
look at that science with a certain fond
ness begOtten of complete ignorance.
When building anything 1 would like to
know how to run out my lines. But l
perceive that the carpenter knows no
more than do ON that subject. A good
deal that is taught in the colleges ought
to be left for the reading Of the pupils in
their holiday or subsequent life. There
is no occasion for teaching at school
what the mind will pursue for its own
recreation in the course of time.
Unquestionably for the higher uses of
lie specific knowledge is important. Ia
the newspaper this specific knowledge
can be obtained whenever it becomes nee
essary for the newspaper to get into that
line of work. My observation is that
American boys do not differ in education
as much as the colleges would like to have
us believe, You look over the list OF
names in Congress or the Senate and YOU
will see that but few OF them had even q
college chance. George +. Edmunds, for
example, whom l take to be the most ac-
cOmplished Senator.
NEVER WENT TO A COLLEGE.
Yet who would suppose he had not been
there? i mean among those who revere
forms rather than facts. Mr.. Blame is IA
college graduate of college not as big
as Harvard, but college ali the same.
Yet the BOstOuese have the idea that Ed
munds did 20 to college, and Blaine never
was there. They do not know much.
Cleveland never went to college, and yet
all the Mugwumps and college presidents
lie down on their bellies before him, as
when the great Mogul came ont of his
temple 200 years ago, and the Brahmans
rubbed their noses into the bricks of his
palace walls.
Abraham Lincoln acquired his educa-
ton on loose scraps OF spelling books and
castaway dictionaries. He borrowed his
law books when they were wOEn out, and
went to college in the genuine wav,
! mounted on an old horse riding with the
| rest of the bar after the Judge from coun-
ty seal TO county seat. One prediction
! can be named with certainty, namely,
| that no man about Harvard will ever be
| an Abraham Lincoln. The college might
| 30 some good by lectures from persons in
! the craft upon the honorary parts OF Jour
/ nalism, such, for instance, as combining
/ your attention. when You have news
! paper, 10 your own readers and thank
! ing God for the great opportunity
! to speak freely, instead of pok-
! ing your nose into all the other news
! papers published in your town to edit as
! we'll as your own. When a man is seen
! studying every form of newspaper in his
| vicinity and answering it back he IS
proving too small tor his avocation. Ele
| reminds me of the old Caivanistic
preachers in the time of Ann Hutchinson,
who not content with raVing and damn
ing at people OF their own fold, were en-
deaVOrng to bring before the general
court all the preachers in the neigh Dor
hood for raving and damning In the same
fashion.
ANOTHER FEATURE
which might be taught in the chair "
journalism after the shoeblack has GOT
done with 1t is to make two friends every
time you make an enemy in the pTess4
Go to the relief of somebody Who ia negI
lected and overslOughed. Now and then
give public clamor aud opinion clip that
will make them sore for year. Find ont
the unworthy and make them worthy.
Pay Just a little attention TO the respect
able as they require. II occurs TO me th at
the press has got along pretty well con-
sidering its founding and unborn origin,
il has had its martyrs, philosophers and
It's vast maOrity of failures. There is
something to me dienitied about man
who mas laiied. He was the kind ola man
/ for whom the Christian religion was iu-
vented. The man who is success in
this worlds goods often hung around the
| gypsy camp OF Christ waiting TO come in !
but he got little encouragement. As tod
the man who was rich in respsctability,
he got none at all, but was yelled at. as IL
he had boon "A horse or Jackass, "Whoal
whoa! unto thee"
A Boston LADY prominently identified W tn
Sunday school work, and wno IL much itller-
| csted IN bringing our Chinese res dents W ithin
| the pale OF Christian influence. ga ed the oLher
/ IL. IA. 81 ~